KUALA LUMPUR - Misunderstanding the concept of religion has created a Muslim society that is self-serving, does not practice moderation nor adheres to the true teachings of the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah, says Akademi Pemikiran Turath Al Mustansir principal Ahmad Faiz Mohd Khalil.
Therefore, he said preachers and scholars who understood the Madani concept should be at the forefront to explain to the public the consequences they would face if they were influenced and trapped by religious extremism.
He said such extremism was not specific to a particular practice, but covered various aspects of religious practices including words, actions or beliefs.
"Such misunderstanding of the concept of religion and arrogant attitudes like this prevents a person from respecting others, so much so that they end up hurting them with provocative words, further triggering enmity and fights.
"In the context of Malaysia, extreme attitudes occur in many aspects including religion, not least in the practice of Islam... in my opinion, this matter should be dealt with immediately to avoid becoming a cancer in society," he said when contacted by Bernama here.
Ahmad Faiz, who is also part of the ‘Du'at Al-Falah’ - involved in guiding the people to understand the core pillars of Malaysia Madani - said mutual respect and celebrating diversity could be a bulwark for the community against religious extremists.
According to him, respecting and celebrating diversity is advocated by Islam, and if it continues to be inculcated, understood and practiced, misconceptions about Islam that lead to religious extremism can be prevented.
Therefore, he called on preachers and scholars who understood the concept of Madani to play a role in explaining the dangers and adverse effects of extremism or religious extremism.
"This group of scholars needs to be a model that calls for the practice of respect, and accepting diversity in addition to encouraging a mature and constructive dialogue as aspired by the government through the introduction of Malaysia Madani," he said.
Ahmad Faiz also hoped that the ‘Majlis Ilmu Madani’ introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would be held more frequently following the positive impact of the programme in dispelling the public's confusion about Islam and preventing extremism, in addition to creating a noble and knowledgeable society.
The Malaysia Madani concept was officially introduced by the Prime Minister on Jan 19 based on six pillars, namely sustainability, compassion, respect, innovation, prosperity, and trust. - BERNAMA